An in-depth investigation into the working conditions at Brandoville Studios (an Indonesian studio which has provided animation support to games like Assassin's Creed Shadows and The Last Of Us: Part I Remake) has been conducted by People Make Games, and alleges a shocking culture of abuse.
Before we proceed, it should be noted that the contents of the report involve extensive physical and psychological abuse and the death of a child, as well as recordings of coerced self-harm. I will also be describing some of these elements below.
Brandoville Studios, which closed on August 17, 2024, was headed up by Cherry Lai and Ken Lai—the studio's commissioner and CEO, respectively.
People Make Games' report cites several employees, both named and anonymous, and shares both video footage and text threads sent and verified by the channel's reporter, Chris Bratt, that paint a disturbing picture of sustained misuse of power by Cherry Lai.
The bulk of evidence provided comes from Christa Sydney, who alleges that she suffered years of abuse during her time at the company.